A thesis defence encompasses explaining and presenting your topic in a lecture form. It requires you to justify the chosen issue, research methodology, major findings, conclusions and recommendations. In essence, dissertation defence comprises of question and answer session. The panel of professors evaluate the strength and weaknesses of your thesis and put it under scrutiny. Your final grade or score depends on how you defend your thesis. Similarly, an advanced degree in geology also requires dissertation defence. So, you must familiarize yourself with dissertation defence and prepare well. This article will guide you in preparing a thesis defence for the geology subject. A well-prepared dissertation defence is mandatory to graduate PhD dissertation with flying colours.
How To Prepare A Thesis Defence?
Know Your Audience
The format of dissertation defence varies across universities worldwide. Some universities conduct thesis defence in an interview format with internal or external examiners. Other universities require the presentation of the thesis in front of a panel of examiners. The first thing to consider is to know the format of your viva-voce. If it is a public examination, you will have to prepare a presentation on your thesis for geology.Prepare And Practice Your Presentation
The second most important thing is considering the time limit for presenting the dissertation defence. If you get only 15 minutes to present your case and have a hundred slides, it will be poor judgement. Similarly, if you have a timeline of one hour and only prepare ten slides, it will lead to negative marking. While making a presentation for your geology thesis defence, it is best to make sure that you abide by the following guidelines.- You should have ample knowledge of the presentation material
- Presentation material should be relevant to the subject matter and your chosen area of research
- Be thoughtful about including the material and only include those contents and information which you can cover in time
- After making the presentation, it is best to practice it on your own in an empty room
- Practice with an audience of friends or family to get their feedback and to find out what questions the examiners can ask
Prepare Yourself for Questions
During a dissertation defence, the most awkward moment is not knowing the answer to a question. The first thought that comes to your mind is that if I read tons of literature, I will answer any question. But it is just impossible to read everything on a subject, and you never know what the examiners will ask. Reading everything to prepare for your geology subject dissertation defence is not a good strategy. It is advisable to not lose sleep over trying to know everything because it is impossible. Examiners pose difficult questions to evaluate your thinking capability as an academic. If you do not know the answer to a question, you can respond by attributing it to causation or correlation.Include The Core Content In Your Thinking
You cannot possibly include everything in your dissertation defence's presentation slides. Only choose that material to include in your presentation which you know the best in your writing. This strategy helps you to stick to the core content of your thesis. It enables you to defend your thesis in a manner that reflects that you are knowledgeable.Gain Control Over Your Nerves
It is natural to get an adrenaline rush before the defence begins. It can make you sweaty, your stomach will churn, and your heartbeat will increase. Practising presentations in front of an imaginary audience or friends is helpful. Focus on non-verbal communication such as body gestures and posture and get feedback from friends while presenting.Demonstrate Confidence
The examiners expect you to be nervous during your presentation. Do not talk too fast if they ask a question because you might diverge from the question. If you cannot understand the questions, ask the examiner to clarify them. Try to slow down, breathe a little and answer in a calm manner.Presentation Structure for Thesis defence of Geology
You should include the following details in your presentation for dissertation defence.- Make a slide of the table of contents in PowerPoint and enlist the following details:
- Objectives (You can describe the topic of your study here)
- Methodology
- Results and analysis
- Conclusion
- Introduction of your topic
- Start your presentation with a famous quote
- Inform the examiners about your study objectives
- Briefly talk about the literature review and elaborate on the gaps identified by you
- Explain the research methodology which you used for your dissertation
- Results and analysis should be in graphical form
- Include a slide of conclusion and recommendations
- Include important bibliographic references at the end which you used during your research